TPT 3.14 Improving the Emergency Surgery Hot Clinic Patient Journey Using a Digital Booking and AI-Supported Patient Education Platform: A Quality Improvement Project
Emergency Surgery Hot Clinics provide ambulatory follow-up for patients with conditions such as cholecystitis, biliary colic, and unresolved abdominal pain. In our unit, appointment tracking relied on a ward-based register and informal spreadsheets, limiting accessibility and posing confidentiality risks. Patients frequently attended clinic with unresolved informational queries. To improve patient journey, clinician workflow, and confidentiality within the Emergency Surgery Hot Clinic. A clinician-led digital booking and patient-support application was developed and deployed via hotclinicdiary.co.uk. The platform includes a secure clinician login with a live booking calendar for eight daily Hot Clinic slots, replacing paper-based systems. A patient-facing interface provides condition-specific resources and an AI chatbot trained using NICE and WSES guidance. Access is via QR code. The digital system improved visibility of clinic capacity, simplified booking, and enhanced confidentiality. The patient-support component addressed common informational queries, reducing clinician workload. The project received Clinical Governance approval and is awaiting Trust Information Governance approval. This QIP demonstrates the feasibility of a low-cost digital solution to improve Emergency Surgery Hot Clinic workflows and patient experience.